Departmental Staff Sick Leave

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Questions (656)

Barry Cowen

Question:

656. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide in tabular form the total number of uncertified sick days taken by employees in her Department and the average uncertified sick days per employee taken; the total certified sick days taken by employees; the average certified sick days per employee; the total sick days taken by employees; the average total sick days and median overall sick days per employee in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [7639/14]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

As my Department was established on 2nd June 2011, the information requested by the Deputy is provided from June 2011 onwards. Absenteeism information relating to staff currently employed by my Department for the years 2009, 2010 and up to end May 2011 will be included in the returns from the Departments where the staff involved were employed prior to transfer to my Department.

YEAR	Uncertified Sick Days	Average Uncertified Sick Days per employee	Certified Sick Days	Average Certified Sick Days per employee	Total Sick Days	Average Total Sick Days per employee	Median Overall Sick Days
2011 (June-Dec)	69	0.55	641	5.13	710	5.68	2
2012	101	0.83	934	6.48	1,053	7.31	2

While the overall number of days lost to sick leave appears to have increased over the period 2011 to 2012, account must also be taken that the numbers employed in the Department also increased during the same period. The overall lost time rate, which is the total amount of time lost due to sick leave as a percentage of total time available, is a more accurate picture of absenteeism levels and this has fallen from 5.48% in 2011 to 3.52% for 2012.